Crowded House

Most rock fans would agree with the assessment that AC/DC ranks as the greatest act to ever rise from Down Under. Angus Young and crew, however, are not the only notable musical exports from land of kangaroos and Crocodile Dundee. Here is a look at some of the other top Australian music acts of all time. Oh, did I miss anyone? Please post your picks for top Aussie acts in music history!

Midnight Oil:
Peter Garrett was a powerful, if a bit spooky, front man, and his Sydney group produced such modern-rock gems as â€œBeds are Burningâ€ and â€œBlue Sky Mine.â€™

Little River Band:
The Melbourne band was the first Aussie rock act to achieve stardom in the U.S., thanks to 1979â€™s â€œLonesome Loserâ€ and 12 other Top 40 singles.

Crowded House has confirmed its first North American tour of 2008. Instead of single dates in many cities, the band is going back to a few of its favorites to do short residencies in smaller, more intimate venues in those markets. Slated to start on April 28 in New York City, the tour will end on May 17 in Los Angeles, with four cities in between. The tour is still in support of Crowded House’s first record since 1993. Entitled “Time on Earth,” the band is Neil Finn – vocals/guitars; Nick Seymour – Bass; Mark Hart – keyboards/guitars; Matt Sherrod – drums. “Time on Earth” was released on ATO Records on July 10, 2007.

“Time On Earth” was recorded at Roundhead Studios, Auckland, NZ, RAK Studios, London, and Real World Studios, Bath, and was produced by Ethan Johns (Kings Of Leon, Ryan Adams) and Steve Lillywhite (U2, Morrissey). Guitar legend Johnny Marr features on two tracks, lead-off single “Don’t Stop Now” and “Even A Child,” a song he co-wrote with Neil Finn. Another album track, “Silent House,” was co-written by Finn and the Dixie Chicks, whose own version of the song appears on their Grammy Award-winning album “Taking the Long Way.”

The press response to the new record was rapturous. “Paste” said, “‘Time on Earth’ is another batch of Finn’s impeccably crafted pop gems,” and the “Los Angeles Times” noted that, “Finn is a master at expressing ambiguity, lyrically and musically.” “USA Today” hailed that, “the melodic gifts that allowed Finn to craft some of the sweetest pop of the late ’80s and early ’90s are still intact,” and then continued to say, “the album’s unpretentious warmth and modest wit offer a refreshing alternative to the winking and whining of some successors.”

Crowded House formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1985 and first tasted global success with their massive 1987 hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” They continued to have hits for a decade, including “Something So Strong,” “Weather With You” and “It’s Only Natural.” “Don’t Dream It’s Over” hit #2 on the American Top 40 and won the band Best New Artist at that year’s MTV Music Awards, while “Something” reached the #7 spot. They produced four studio albums and a best-of compilation.